Hear Me Roar
by jbn42
Summary: Wash finds out how Taylor broke his ankle.


**Author's Note: **Follow up to Another Day, Another Routine Mission. An explanation of what happened to Taylor's ankle was requested, so here it is! And, you know, just a small amount of fun and fluff added in.

**Disclaimer is the same as always – don't own them, just borrowing, no profit here.**

"Seriously, Nathaniel, just tell me!" Alicia is needling Nathaniel, not for the first time, about how he broke his ankle. The pair of them make for a comical sight, both of them clomping towards the command center on crutches.

Everyone knows that she messed up her knee after helping Jim Shannon out of a bad situation when they had to rappel down a cliff face. It's now been four days since the surgery to repair her right ACL, but luckily, between having a good brace and Elisabeth's high level of skill as a surgeon, she'll be allowed to get rid of the crutches as early as next week.

That, of course, makes Nathaniel all kinds of irritated, as he'll probably still be on his crutches for his broken ankle when she's off of hers for her knee. As for how he broke his ankle, all she knows is that it was during a training exercise with some of the soldiers. He refuses to elaborate further. This time, at her request, he just huffs and rolls his eyes.

"It can't be that bad, Nathaniel!" The words are uttered with a smirk. At this point, she doesn't really expect him to tell her. She's just enjoying getting under his skin.

He makes what she is relatively certain is an obscene gesture at her and keeps going. When they get to the command center, they both hop one legged up the stairs. She knows that this annoys him, and usually, she'd be just as annoyed. For some reason, though, she's tickled by the whole situation.

When they get to his office, he thumps over to his desk and drops into his chair, propping his foot, encased in its protective boot, up on a chair next to him. She smiles, one at a time slowly dragging two chairs over to his desk. He glares at her as she sits down, also propping up her injured leg.

As much as she's entertained by the situation, she knows that he isn't, so she decides to attempt a conciliatory, sympathetic tone. "I'm sorry. I know you're in a bad mood about your ankle, and I shouldn't laugh about it. But you have to admit that we look awfully silly wandering around the colony on our respective crutches. Even Gracie was giggling about it when I took her to school this morning."

He grumbles, sitting back and crossing his arms across his chest. She shakes her head. "Come on, Nathaniel. Stop pouting for a moment and think about the picture we present. You and me, bad ass soldiers, first and second in command of the whole damned colony, both of us able to pretty much kick anyone else's ass, clomping all over the place on crutches." She pauses for effect. "_Nothing _can defeat us, except, you know, wide-eyed toddlers and uneven streets."

At that, he snorts in spite of himself. He rolls his eyes, but this time, he's smiling as he does. "I know I'm being ridiculous, Alicia. I'm just getting tired of people asking me how I am."

She lifts an eyebrow at him, smirking. "Yeah, well now you know how I felt by the end of my pregnancy with Gracie."

He laughs. "I do distinctly remember you threatening to bury a boot in the ass of the next person who asked you how you were feeling."

"I really was hoping it would be Shannon." She grins at him. "But Nathaniel, you do know, don't you, that I'm going to bug the crap out of you until you tell me how you did it?"

He shoots another glare at her, but this one is tinged with humor. "You can ask all you want, Lieutenant. Doesn't mean I'm going to tell you."

"I have ways of making you talk, you know."

He leers at her. "Promises, promises."

Snorting, she reaches out and grabs a plex off of his desk. "Weren't we going to talk about the repairs needed to the north irrigation system this morning?"

"And now she changes the subject." He sighs, a put-upon expression on his face. "Just when it was getting interesting."

"Yes, she changes the subject because one, we do not get it on in the command center; two, with both of us on crutches and my knee being not-at-all bendy right now, even if we _did _get it on in the command center, I have no idea how we'd manage it; and three, we're picking up Gracie early today to go to the market and get what we need to cook dinner for Mira, Guz and the Shannons tonight, remember?" She gives him a pointed look. "And like it or not, we actually do need to sort out the repair crew assignments."

"Fair enough. But can we figure out how to 'manage it' tonight? Because I'm really tired of the damned crutches messing everything up." He gives her a hopeful look.

"You're on, at least if Gracie stays in her room, which, lucky for us, she's been better about of late." She grins at him.

As she pulls up the crew information on her plex, she chuckles when she hears him mumble, "Maybe I can get the doc to slip her a mickey."

**WT**WT**WT**

A couple of hours later, right before lunch, they arrive at Gracie's school to pick her up. She's waiting for them, already wearing her little backpack, her stuffed dinosaur's head peeking out the top of it. Alicia smiles at her teacher as Gracie runs forward and attaches herself to Nathaniel's good leg. "Hi, Mama! Hi, Daddy! We go now?"

Alicia watches Nathaniel lean a crutch against the wall and scoop Gracie up, making her giggle. The teacher walks over to Alicia. "She's been ready to go for twenty minutes, backpack on and all. She has done nothing but talk about going to lunch with you two and then, I quote, 'helping you shop.'"

"It's funny the things that get her excited. On the way here this morning, I was quizzed as to the types of vegetables we'll be buying." Alicia laughs.

The teacher nods with a grin. "That may explain why she was asking me how to cook squash." She looks over to Gracie. "Have a good afternoon and a good weekend, Bug. I'll see you on Monday morning!"

Gracie waves at the teacher from her perch on Nathaniel's hip. "You good weekend too, Miss Cole!"

Nathaniel puts Gracie down, and she leads the way out of the little school, Nathaniel and Alicia waving at the teacher and following Gracie out. Not long after, they're settled at a little table in the plaza near the market, sandwiches and fruit from the market on the table in front of them. After a few bites of her sandwich, Gracie announces, "I help today. Carry bags for Mama and Daddy."

Alicia and Nathaniel exchange an amused look. He grins at Gracie as Alicia shakes her head, taking a bite of fruit. "And what if they're too heavy, Bug?"

"Daddy! I can be cuh, um, cuh-ree-ate-ive." She looks slightly outraged that he would question her on her announcement.

Nathaniel lifts an eyebrow at their nearly three-year-old. "Creative? How so, little Bug?"

Gracie appears to think hard for a moment, and then she nods decisively. "Gracie dwag heavy stuff."

"You'll drag it?" Nathaniel now looks even more amused.

"Yes! Gracie dwag!"

"Like a dinosaur taking its food home?" He's grinning at her, and Alicia can't help but laugh softly at the apparently serious conversation between father and daughter.

"Yes! Just wike that! Gracie dinosaur!" She stands up on her little bench seat. "Rawr! Graciesaurus!"

She and Nathaniel exchange another highly amused look, and Alicia says, "OK, Graciesaurus. Sit down and finish your lunch."

"Rawr!" Alicia swallows a grin and gives Gracie a stern look. Gracie blinks and sits, starting to eat her lunch again. The only difference now is that after every couple of bites, they hear a soft "Rawr!" from her direction.

Continuing to eat, Alicia just shakes her head and murmurs, "Well, this one is your fault."

"I know, but at least it's funny," he agrees quietly, taking a bite of his sandwich.

"True, which is the only reason I'm not mad at you." She smiles at him.

"Rawr!"

**WT**WT**WT**

Lunch finished, they proceed through the market, buying the things they need for dinner tonight. Nathaniel, Shannon and Guz volunteered to grill dino steaks, so Alicia is putting together some sides and a dessert. Much to the amusement of all the vendors they talk to, Gracie is maintaining her dinosaur persona, roaring in her nearly ridiculously non-threatening way at all of them. To their credit, as they all laugh, they also pretend to be suitably frightened by the rawr-ing toddler.

If Alicia thought they looked funny this morning, the two of them on their crutches, they look even funnier now. They're clomping along carrying the more fragile items, and they're lead by Gracie, hair in bouncy black pigtails, bright green dress (perfect for her dino persona), backpack on, stomping as she appears to think a dinosaur should, bags of not-easily-damaged food dragged in her wake, and occasionally emitting a "Rawr!"

At this point, it appears that word has spread throughout the market to be on the lookout for them, because Alicia and Nathaniel both begin to notice heads peeking out of vendor stalls as they approach. Most of them are grinning. Alicia is so busy watching people watch Gracie, she doesn't notice someone approach them from the right. "What's this I hear about a dinosaur rampaging through the market?"

Alicia and Nathaniel turn to see a highly amused Carter standing there, left arm still in a sling from dislocating his shoulder on the same OTG trip during which Alicia blew out her knee. Gracie turns to him, but instead of yelling "Unca Carter!" as she usually does, she just lets loose a slightly louder, "RAWR!"

He laughs as she stands there, growling quietly. Alicia just shakes her head. "Can we not over-encourage this, please?"

Nathaniel chuckles at that, and Carter just smirks. "Come on, little sister. This is just too great to ignore. I actually wish I could follow you around just to watch, but I'm meeting Skye." He looks over at Gracie. "Bye, Bug!"

The little girl pointedly ignores him. He looks at Alicia and Nathaniel, a confused expression on his face. Alicia sighs and murmurs, "Graciesaurus."

He looks at her in disbelief for a moment, obviously trying to hold back a laugh. Then, he looks at Nathaniel, exchanges a grin with him and turns back to Gracie. "Bye, Graciesaurus!"

She immediately looks at him, smiles, waves and emits a happy-sounding, "Rawr!"

Carter and Nathaniel can't hold back their laughter, and Alicia smiles in spite of herself. "Bye, Carter."

"This too shall pass, little sister."

"Yeah, yeah."

Carter heads off, and Alicia looks back at Gracie. She's been joined by Nathaniel over at another vendor, and they're looking through a bin of fruit. At the pieces she apparently approves of, Gracie voices her happy, "Rawr!" At the rejects, she simply growls softly. Nathaniel catches her eye, looking even more amused.

They pay the laughing fruit vendor, and he actually says, "Rawr!" in return to Gracie.

Their last stop is at Alicia's favorite flower vendor, and she roots through the vases until she puts together a bouquet suitable for the breakfast bar, something pretty for tonight. As she concentrates on the flowers, Gracie is also looking through them, growling and rawring, and a moment later Alicia feels a tug at her pant leg. She looks down to see Gracie standing there, blue eyes wide and hopeful, a large, yellow daisy-like flower clutched in her small hand. She holds it up to Alicia. "Rawr?"

Alicia feels Nathaniel's eyes and the vendor's eyes on her as she gives Gracie an appraising look. After a moment, Alicia takes the daisy and puts it in with her own flowers. Instead of nodding or saying OK, Alicia just gives Gracie a small smile and says quietly, "Rawr."

Gracie's huge grin at that, combined with the hug she gives Alicia's good leg before running, rawring happily, back to Nathaniel, makes the silliness entirely worth it. Alicia turns and pays for the flowers, the vendor refusing any payment for Gracie's daisy. She nods her thanks to the woman, who smiles and says, "I don't envy you her teen years, but for now, she tends to make everyone's day, Lieutenant. She's just a walking, talking little smile."

Alicia blushes lightly at the compliment, looking over at her little family. She turns back to the woman, giving her a game smile. "I really need to tell her no in public sometimes, just so all of you know that she's not _always _charming." The woman just laughs before going to tend to other customers.

Carefully placing the flowers in the bag she has on her shoulder, Alicia limps over to Nathaniel and Gracie. "Home?"

In unison, they say, "Rawr!" making her laugh out loud as they turn towards home.

**WT**WT**WT**

That night, after a growling, rawring Gracie has been put to bed and after Alicia and Nathaniel sort out a way to "manage" things per their earlier conversation, Alicia hands Nathaniel his boxers before she slips on his discarded t-shirt and her panties. Just in case Gracie has a bad dream and slips into bed with them, she'd rather they not be naked. Well, they weren't _completely _naked before – but she'd rather they be wearing more than a protective ankle boot and a knee brace.

She snuggles into his side, resting her head on his bare shoulder. She drops a light kiss near his collar bone as she wraps a possessive arm around his waist. His hand brushes gently through her hair, and they're quiet, just enjoying the peaceful moment. Out of nowhere, he says, "I stepped in a hole."

She looks up in surprise, perching her chin on his chest. "What?"

"I stepped in a damned hole. The training exercise was over, and we were walking back. I wasn't paying attention, and I stepped in a hole."

She grins at him. "Seriously?"

He grimaces. "Seriously."

"Nathaniel, why is that such a big deal?" She can't help but feel honestly puzzled as she thinks about it. "We all have clumsy moments now and then."

"You don't."

"Of course I do."

"Name one." He looks down at her, his face questioning.

She blinks. "OK, you're right. I tend to be pretty sure on my feet. But I'm on crutches too, you know."

"At least you hurt yourself doing something noble." She snorts, and he lifts an eyebrow. "You saved Shannon, Alicia."

"Nathaniel, I still screwed up."

Now, he's the one to seem puzzled. "What are you talking about?"

"I tried to free climb down a twenty-five foot sheer face in high winds, and I didn't have to." As he clearly begins to ask her what she means, she just goes on, serious now, "It was an adrenaline moment, Nathaniel. If I'd stopped for half a minute to think about it, I would have taken Shannon's rope, cut it loose, attached it to mine, and at least had a line to hold to. But I just abandoned my rope and tried to free climb it. It was a dumb decision that could've cost me a lot more than a bump to the head and a torn ACL."

He's quiet for a moment. "You've been worrying this to death, haven't you? Beating yourself up over it?"

She clings tighter to him and buries her face in his neck, muffling her voice. "Maybe."

He hugs her. "Alicia, you're always too hard on yourself."

"Et tu, Commander? So embarrassed about how you broke your ankle that you didn't even tell the doctor what happened?" She pokes him in the side.

"Fair enough." He pulls her even closer to him. It's late and very dark in their room, and they relax into each other.

Nathaniel is out, snoring lightly, and Alicia also nearly asleep when she hears their door open. She isn't surprised. For some reason, she just expected Gracie tonight. Gracie clearly can tell that Alicia is the only one awake, because she approaches Alicia's side of the bed. "Mama?"

Instead of replying, Alicia just scoots away from Nathaniel, making a space for Gracie between them before lifting the covers and beckoning her over. Gracie climbs in and trundles up and over Alicia, settling down in the middle, snuggling into Alicia.

"Good night, Graciesaurus."

Gracie giggles softly and, in a sleepy voice, says, "Rawr, Mama."

"Rawr, Gracie."

A moment later, Gracie relaxes against her, going to sleep. Feeling a squeeze to her arm, Alicia looks up to see Nathaniel watching them silently, a look of naked affection on his face. Alicia shrugs a little and whispers, "Rawr," to him.

He just grins and whispers back, "Rawr," squeezing her arm again before they both fall asleep.


End file.
